Marilyn Cahatol

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<p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATED) — </strong>The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte reminded the Senate impeachment court that the Supreme Court invalidated the 2025 impeachment of their client as lead lawyer Sheila Sison questioned proceedings at the House that led to the current case. </p><p>Duterte, who did not attend the Monday trial, is being represented by her 16-member defense team.</p><p>&quot;While impeachment is a powerful democratic process to call out corruption and grave abuse, impeachment can be abused,&quot; Sison said, quoting the SC decision on the 2025 impeachment case against Duterte.</p><p>&quot;Impeachment should never be abused to maintain the hegemonic dominance of greed by shaming those who occupy high government positions into preventing them from doing what they were sworn to do,&quot; she continued.</p><p>The SC declared the 2025 articles of impeachment against Duterte “unconstitutional,” saying it violated a provision in the 1987 Constitution barring more than one impeachment complaints against the same official in the same year.</p><p>The high court affirmed the decision January this year. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/in-opening-speech-luistro-says-prosecution-to-show-evidence-not-rumors-in-duterte-trial-1613">&#x27;Hindi socmed narrative&#x27;: Luistro says prosecution to show evidence, not rumors, in Duterte trial</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘HOUSE MERELY INITIATES’</strong></div><p>The defense, in Sison&#x27;s opening statement, further questioned House hearings earlier this year to determine whether impeachment complaints against Duterte were sufficient in form and in substance. </p><p>“The House merely initiates, the Senate tries,” she said, referring to Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro referring to the House hearings as a &quot;mini-trial.&quot;</p><p>Luistro has since made clear that it was an informal term for the House hearings.</p><p>The defense has reiterated its claim that the impeachment complaints are a “fishing expedition” against Duterte, who has announced her intent to run for president in the 2028 national elections.  </p><p>“In that mini-trial, we saw how the purported pieces of evidence were curated to construct a narrative against the vice president even before this case reaches the trial,” Sison said.  </p><p>Duterte&#x27;s lead defense lawyer argued that the Articles of Impeachment submitted to the Senate are “the product of an impermissible intrusion of clear constitutional boundaries.”</p><p>The defense also said that the House prosecutors must prove the allegations with evidence that &quot;meets not only the degree of proof required, but also meets the evidentiary standards of admissibility, credibility, relevance, materiality, and competence.&quot;</p><p>Sison noted that the vice president, as other accused, must be presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. </p><p>She said: &quot;We therefore should not lose sight of the core principle that the burden of proof is on the prosecution and unless it discharges that burden, the accused need not even offer evidence on her behalf and she will be entitled to an acquittal.&quot;</p><p>The vice president allegedly misused P612.5 million in confidential funds, issued grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., amassed unexplained wealth, and bribed government officials.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/senate-impeachment-court-begins-historic-sara-duterte-trial-0848">Senate impeachment court opens historic Sara Duterte trial</a></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XoYjjc_RPBw?si=OZUpn287dGof7nmT" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte reminded the Senate impeachment court that the Supreme Court invalidated the 2025 impeachment of their client as lead lawyer Sheila Sison questioned proceedings at the House that led to the current case.</p>

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte reminded the Senate impeachment court that the Supreme Court invalidated the 2025 impeachment of their client as lead lawyer Sheila Sison questioned proceedings at the House that led to the current case.

In opening statement, defense raises SC ruling vs Duterte impeachment in 2025

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In opening statement, defense raises SC ruling vs Duterte impeachment in 2025

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 06, 2026 05:01 PM PHT

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Updated July 06, 2026 06:30 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

impeachment

Senate

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